The present invention relates generally to linear units with tolerance compensation.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a linear unit, having a rotor that is received, such that it is movable back and forth in a travel direction, in a substantially rigid housing unit, in which the rotor has at least one engagement device, which engages an engagement slot of the housing unit, in an engagement direction extending substantially orthogonally to the travel direction.
One such linear unit is known for instance from European Patent Disclosure EP 1 120 585 A2. In this linear unit, two attachments, formed integrally on the rotor and laterally protruding from it and forming the engagement devices of this linear unit, engage two associated engagement slots, which are embodied in a housing unit of substantially U-shaped cross section. The engagement between the attachments of the rotor and the engagement slot of the housing unit, however, serves solely to guide the rotor in a vertical direction extending substantially parallel to the two side legs of the U-shape. The lateral guidance in a transverse direction extending substantially parallel to the base of the U, is assured by the lateral contact of the rotor with the U-shaped profile section.
This embodiment has proved to be disadvantageous, especially in linear units in which the housing unit is manufactured as an extruded profile element of a lightweight metal or a lightweight metal alloy, such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. These disadvantages are due to problems with manufacturing tolerances and to the fact that the known linear unit does not allow any tolerance compensation.